From the collection of over 3 million Indian & International Stock Images, we will share inspiring Quotes in this section.
Please feel free to share if it strikes a cord with you !www.stockimagebank.com

Dear Photographers worldwide,
How may of you are aware of your rights ? How many of you actually take the initiative to make friends and family around you aware that plagiarism of images is a crime. Lifting images from google, flicker & elsewhere on the net and using for commercial endeavours is inappropriate. That the creator of that image at the end of the tunnel, is someone like yourself who has invested in equipment, has spent time and energy with a lot of passion to create something that they “Love”, love enough to use commercially !!
There are a lot of more important issues I understand, but unless each one of you make it you personal mandate to speak about it and educate plagiarism will continue.

I would urge you to share this. Creation of images is a livelihood for photographers everywhere. Only if we join hands and create awareness in each of our circles will this be viewed as unethical. Its a chain.

Images will always be a part of communication. If we want to continue creating good work that enables business to generate revenue ( directly or indirectly ) we should all come together. We at StockImageBank.com are always available to assist anyone who needs guidance to know know more. Please feel free to write to me directly or make it a discussion in open forums !!

The stigma of using stock is pretty much a thing of the past, and maybe you’ve decided shooting for any number of stock houses is something you’re going to try.

Now, none of these are absolutes — rules set in stone being the last thing a creative wants — but having a general idea of the types of things we look for may help your work sell better.

Some of these suggestions may overlap, and others may be relevant depending upon your situation. A lot also has to do with the agency, and what categories they work on. So in no particular order, here are my 10 recommendations:

1. Shoot what you know.

If you shoot great landscapes, why all of a sudden try medical research and high tech just because it’s popular? Go ahead if you want, but understand that there’s a lot of competition out there already, so your shots of lasers better really stand out. If you do want to try a category you may not have tried before, look at existing collateral in that category in the form of brochures, Web sites, posters, point-of-sale materials, etc. This will help familiarize you with current styles and trends.

2. Know your category.

This goes hand in hand with the first one. When you really understand a category (teens, automotive, cuisine, etc.), chances are you’ll be able to dig a little deeper and come up with shots and angles nobody else can see, especially if you live that category.

3. Don’t shoot just what’s popular.

Sounds contradictory to the mission at hand, which is to shoot stuff that sells. What it means, though, is don’t give me the same thing I can get from 100 other photographers, especially if you know that category like the back of your hand. That’s even more reason to push yourself.

4. Bore me.

Okay, another contradiction. Let’s say you’re shooting hands. Give me a wide range of realistic but natural positions, nothing elaborate. Simple, relaxed hands holding a coffee cup, on the phone, tapping a desk, etc. And close-up too. Please shoot close on a few shots. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve found the perfect position for a hand that was part of a larger shot, but when I went to enlarge it, the hand is grainy or not really in focus.

5. Don’t bore me.

So you covered the boring shot of the engine block. Now, give me an extreme close-up and dramatic POV shot. Maybe shoot all macro B&W. It’s here where if you are shooting a category you know that I want you to really push things and explore.

6. Keep it simple.

Don’t clutter up a shot. I personally respond to things that are clean; leave an area around the subject, too. For example, for a shot of someone walking on the beach, normally you see various poses of someone shot full-figure at water’s edge but without enough sky in the pic or “space” on either side of them. I don’t mean become like David Lean and shoot everything long and epic with man as but a tiny speck in a vast landscape — just don’t always crop nature out of a scene so much. Yes, that’s what Photoshop is for, but why not save the studio some retouching time?

7. Easy on the themes.

This one goes with the last one and is subjective. Now, I can’t make you stop shooting whatever weird fantasy you have going on in your head, but when I see a CD collection on Photodisc with extreme characters, bizarre props and really outlandish color schemes, you’ve pretty much guaranteed that I’ll take a pass. Why? Because the 50 Elvis impersonators standing in a field at night with lit sparklers is just too specific a theme for me to ever use. I’d have to be looking for that from the start, and what are the odds we’d need something like that unless the piece called for it? Very low indeed.

However, this is not the same thing as shooting retro motels, diners or cars, or even a range of someone’s emotions. Say you have a particular lighting style and you’re shooting a series of laundromats. Just keep the scenes simple. Places like that already have enough character without a ballerina on a dryer.

We also don’t need you to do anything “extra” with a funky old Chevy; it’s cool as is, trust us. We want shots simple because, well, we’re going to do something with them ourselves more than likely and we just don’t need anything else messing with that. So get Elvis out of the car, please.

8. Include the entire subject in a shot.

Related to “Keep it simple,” but shoot a range of shots in terms of both angle and proximity. Just like the movies, we like the same type of coverage: wide, medium and close-up shots — all of it.

If you want to focus on the corner of a cool sign outside some Route 66 motel, fine. (Just like we dig old cars, we also like anything retro — like signs.) But back up and make sure you get a shot of the entire sign with plenty of background around it. There’s nothing like finding the perfect shot, only to see part of it missing.

And when you get the entire sign in the shot, please also remember to shoot a straight-on angle of it and not just a low POV off-center that might distort things.

9. Avoid cliches.

Like, businessmen in suits with briefcases running against each other around a track. Let me guess: the rat race?

10. Keep it real.

Have your talent save the bad acting for soap operas. Honest, genuine expressions, please. Real moments where you catch people with their guards down are far more appealing than the shiny happy people R.E.M. sang about. Speaking of bands, find a real band — there are plenty of up-and-coming bands — and shoot them in a real club. Avoid the model who doesn’t know how to even hold the guitar and waves her arm wildly like Pete Townshend.

Have you ever noticed when reading a magazine or flicking through a brochure, how many of the images are ‘lifestyle’ images? Photographs of people doing things, talking to each other, sitting in the gardens, exercising, eating and reading together etc. These kinds of photographs may seem contrived and a bit corny, but they have an important use in stock photography because they add something to the story.

For example, if a magazine is writing about exercising, they can search the stock libraries and find an image of someone of which their demographic can relate to doing some exercise. If it’s a specific kind of exercise, say yoga, it can be an image of that to demonstrate what it looks like.

Same goes for cooperate companies that look for images of people in suits or apparently in business meetings. It’s a good way to convey a professional image or to show what kind of team your company has (young, mature, professional work environment, relaxed) etc.

The benefit for companies is that it’s much cheaper to buy a stock image than it is to commission your own photographs. You get photogenic people and clean, well composed shots.

So if you are thinking of taking lifestyle shots to sell on a stock library what kind of things should you start with?

Well firstly think about the kind of images that people will want to buy – if you can make things a little specific, that’s great too because its more likely to be picked out by people who are working within a niche.

Some ideas include:

1. Healthy Living shots.

These are very popular since internationally, the issue of health, obesity and weight loss is a constant news source. So think about shots of people doing exercise – it could be jogging, weights, yoga, stretches. It could be something with a water bottle; it could be someone in gym wear. It could even be something eating healthy food like salads, or eating something unhealthier like a large burger. Imagine what kind of story that could work for – perhaps a piece of how people are struggling with healthy eating?

Remember when you do these kinds of shots, it’s not actually about getting your model jumping around getting red and sweaty – pose them as you would at a fashion shot, making sure they look polished and there’s no motion blur.

2. Couples

Couples lifestyle shots work well because there are always features and articles concerning marriage, dating and love. In this case you don’t need to actually find a couple, and of course since there are many pieces written on same gender relationships you can even get two people of the same sex together.

In these cases you need to consider a few things – are your models happy with the context of the shot and aware that if someone buys it they can use it for all kinds of uses and articles? Are they happy to pose as a couple with the other person? A professional model understands the score, but if you are borrowing a friend then you need to let them know.

Then look at the couple – do they fit. Be honest here – is one person a lot younger looking than the other?

You can do shots of them together, looking happy but lover’s tiff or argument images also work well – for example a couple together and the woman folding her arms to express annoyance. These work well with women’s magazine articles.

1) Try ‘clever’ tricks to save money.Photographers have seen and heard just about every trick in the book, and you should realize this. You can expect to piss off a photographer if you treat them as if they haven’t experienced a few of these money-saving tricks already.

Don’t say that an assignment will take 2 hours when you know it will realistically require a full day of work. Don’t try to expand the assignment into something more when the photographer arrives on the scene, and expect them to bend over backwards to “help you out, just this once.”

You should understand that a photographer is a small business owner, and they’re not trying to use their own clever tricks to jack up their rates. They want a fair, respectable price. Be upfront and totally honest with them from the very beginning, and you’ll find them much more willing to “help you out” in the end.

2) Don’t understand what it’s like in the real world.Most editors spend their working day in an office, dreaming up perfect situations and scenarios where everything goes exactly as planned. Most don’t plan for the unexpected, and are surprised and upset when the pre-visualized images they promised to their bosses don’t actually materialize.

Instead, treat the photographer as a partner. Let them know that what you’re asking for is just something intended to get you both on the same page, and you’re not expecting miracles.

Encourage them to think beyond the box, and deliver something even better. If you put a little faith in them as a partner, you’ll often find they’ll work harder for you to come up with something truly great. Something you can both be proud of.

3) Screw up the schedule.This is usually related to having little idea what it’s like in the real world. Scheduling is very important to a photographer, especially when the photo editor is the person setting up the shooting appointment with the subjects.

Don’t assume, for example, that a photographer in Los Angeles can drive to San Francisco and back within 2 hours. In this case, take the extra step and go to Google Maps and figure out the driving times in advance.

Be as clear with the photographer as possible with regard to the schedule. If you’re unsure about something, or if there may be some waiting time once they arrive on the scene – let them know in advance. You should understand that they may have an assignment booked after yours. Letting them know that the schedule may change without notice will give them an opportunity to plan accordingly, and not screw up another assignment because yours ran late.

4) Expect unlimited use of an image, for free.Don’t be outraged when a photographer sends you an invoice after you’ve used an image again. Don’t assume that every image is Royalty-Free, even if the image was shot on assignment for you.

When a photographer shoots an image, they are hoping to produce something good enough that it will be used in many places – that there will be a demand for the image. If you suspect that you will want to use an image over again, in different places, tell the photographer in advance and work out a deal. Don’t just assume that you can use it, and then “deal with it later” if/when you’re caught.

5) Be difficult to contact.This goes both ways – both photographers and photo editors should be easy to contact. Great communication between the parties means that you’re working as partners, each available to the other as the assignment unfolds.

Everyone knows the importance of this. If you expect people to be easy to contact, you should make yourself easy to contact as well.

6) Ask them to copy the style of another photographer.Most people who become photographers do so because it’s a creative outlet. It allows them the freedom to express their own vision. Not understanding this very basic concept will piss off any photographer who has pride in their work.

Treat a photographer as a person who has their own creative process – and it’s the creative process that you’re paying for.

Don’t treat a photographer like a robot with a camera. Showing them an image, and asking them to replicate it is considered an insult to most. Asking them to “shoot the same thing you did last time” could end up making them second-guess their own creative process.

7) Have a big ego.Let’s face it, both photographers and photo editors can have a bit of an ego. They’re both often sensitive about their work because, if they do their jobs right, they really put themselves into a project and it ends up becoming an intimate personal expression.

When big egos collide, bad things can happen. Treating each other with respect, as an equal partner in the creative process, will yield better results in the end.

Accept that fact that you actually need each other, and no person is more important, or has “more power” than the other.

8) Offer a photo credit as payment.Photographers will be easily pissed off when you offer a photo credit as if it has some kind of monetary value. They will be further pissed off if you insinuate that a photo credit in your highly respectable publication will help their career.

You should understand that it costs a photographer time and money to produce the image that you want to use, and a photo credit can’t be used to pay their bills. Offering a photo credit as a form of payment is an insult.

9) Use images without permission.If you don’t have money to pay for the use of an image, don’t just take the image and use it anyway – and deal with any potential fallout later. Contact the photographer in advance, and see if you can work something out.

Using an image without permission is rude and offensive to most photographers.

10) Crop their photos to the point of obscurity.Photographers often spend a lot of mental energy composing an image, and brutal cropping hack-jobs can easily send a photographer into a pissy mood. This is like cutting the first 2 paragraphs out of a writer’s story, and expecting the writer to be perfectly fine with it.

Contact the photographer ahead of time, let them know the reasons why the image must be cropped this way, and have a discussion about it before its too late. It is insulting to see your image in print with the heart and soul cropped out.

Credit : John Harrington is an editorial, corporate and commercial photographer based in Washington, DC.

Take 1.
I love art photography. Admire b&w images such a lone old man from Jaipur sitting at the side of the road with a catchy phrase for instance ” waiting” or one street girl child smiling at the camera captioned ” innocence”… I am sure you get the wiff of the kind of images I am talking about. Beautiful artistic photographs.
I see a lot of such images all on FB, Flicker et all the places.

Take 2.
A carefully created image of an urban family, a good portrait of a college student, a group of business people with a beautiful backdrop , urban kids with food, a conceptual image of objects in the business sense…. I need emotions, I need to see the ability to cast well, I need to see color palette, I need to see contemporary work.
I keep hunting for photographers who may showcase such works and sadly do not find !!!!!

Now, if I need to assign shoots I need to see those to give me confidence that I can bet good production money on them to create commercially viable images that will fetch them, us, ad agencies and eventually brands .. revenue !